Teeth gripping medicament applicator for treatment of teeth and/or gums

ABSTRACT

AN APPLICATOR FOR THE TREATMENT OF TEETH AND/OR GUMS WITH FLUORIDES OR OTHER MEDICAMENTS WHEREIN THE APPLICATOR COMPRISES A FLEXIBLY RESILIENT SUBSTANTIALLY HORSESHOE-SHAPED LIQUID-IMPERMEABLE TRAY OF CHANNEL CROSSSECTION AND A MEDICAMENT CARRIER SUBSTANTIALLY COEXTENSIVE THEREWITH AND ALSO OF CHANNEL CROSS-SECTION SECURED IN THE TRAY, THE INNER AND OUTER FLANGES AT THE ANTERIOR TEETH BEING INCLINED DISTALLY OR INWARDLY WHILE THE INNER AND OUTER FLANGES AT THE POSTERIOR TEETH CONVERGE TOWARDS THE TEETH SO THAT WHEN THE APPLICATOR IS APPLIED TO THE TEETH IT WILL READILY ACCOMMODATE TO AND GRIP THE TEETH WITHOUT SPRINGING OFF, AND WHEN MODERATE PRESSURE IS APPLIED TO THE APPLICATOR THE MEDICAMENT WILL INVEST THE TEETH AND/OR GUMS.

Dec. 7, 1971 s. GREENBERG 3,624,909

TEETH GRIPPING MEDICAMENT APPLICATOR FOR TREATMENT OF TEETH AND/OR GUMS Filed May 26. 1970 bill 17701? SAMUEL GREENBERG ATTORNEX United States Patent 3,624,909 TEETH GRIPPING MEDICAMENT APPLICATOR FOR TREATMENT OF TEETH AND/0R GUMS Samuel Greenberg, Stump Road and Commerce Drive, Montgomeryville, Pa. 17754 Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 662,114, Aug. 21, 1967, now Patent No. 3,527,219. This application May 26, 1970, Ser. No. 40,621

Int. Cl. A610 3/00 US. Cl. 32--40 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An applicator for the treatment of teeth and/or gums with fluorides or other medicaments wherein the applicator comprises a flexibly resilient substantially horseshoe-shaped liquid-impermeable tray of channel crosssection and a medicament carrier substantially coextensive therewith and also of channel cross-section secured in the tray, the inner and outer flanges at the anterior teeth being inclined distally or inwardly while the inner and outer flanges at the posterior teeth converge towards the teeth so that when the applicator is applied to the teeth it will readily accommodate to and grip the teeth without springing off, and when moderate pressure is applied to the applicator the medicament will invest the teeth and/ or gums.

This is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 662,114 filed Aug. 21, 1967, now Pat. No. 3,527,219 and relates to a horseshoe-shaper applicator of channel cross-section having an outer member formed of a liquid-impermeable plastic and an inner closed or open cell porous cushioning member serving as a medicament carrier whereby the applicator can be readily applied to the teeth for the proper investment of the teeth and/or gums with the medicament.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a medicament applicator of the character described which graps the teeth but does not spring off so that the medicament can be continuously applied to the teeth without the necessity of supporting the applicator during the period of application.

A further object of the invention is to provide a medicament applicator which possesses an improved teethgripping function and can also be accommodated to teeth of various sizes.

The foregoing objects are obtained by laminating or otherwise securing or bonding a flexibly resilient liquidimpermeable plastic sheet to closed or open call porous plastic material or foam and then shaping the sandwich into a horseshoe-shaped channel with the impervious plastic on the outside and with the outer and inner flanges thereof angled inwardly at the anterior teeth and converging at the posterior teeth to provide a teeth gripping applicator.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent as the following description proceeds in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the applicator;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the applicator of FIG. 3.

Specific reference is now made to the drawings wherein similar reference characters are used for corresponding elements throughout.

This invention relates to means for readily and efiiciently applying medicaments such as sodium fluoride,

ice

stannous fluoride, hydrogen peroxide, antibiotics, etc. to the teeth and/or gums for the treatment or prevention of dental caries, pyorrhea, gingivitis and other diseases. The means generally comprises a horseshoe-shaped flexibly resilient liquid-impermeable tray of channel cross-section W1th an inner cushioning material to serve as a medicament carrier to invest the teeth and/or gums with the medicament.

The applicator comprises a tray or shell 10 formed in substantially U or horseshoe-shape and of channel crosssection thereby providing inner and outer flanges 12 and 14 connected by a web 16 and having open distal ends 18 and 20. The tray can be made by conventional injection molding techniques of liquid-impermeable materials such as polyethylene, polystyrene, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolyrners of the type disclosed in Pat. No. 3,250,272 or of the type sold by DuPont under the trademark Alathon, vinyl coated paper, polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane, etc., the preferred thickness of the tray being in the order of magnitude of .0l0.l00 mm. Because of the nature of the materials from which the tray is made and the fact that it is relatively thin and of channel horseshoe construction, it is flexibly resilient.

Coextensive with and secured by lamination or adhesive in the interior of the tray is a medicament carrier 22 which is also substantially U or horseshoe-shaped and of channel cros-ssection to provide inner and outer flangelike portions 24 and 26 connected by a web 28 thereby forming a continuous tooth receiving channel 30 which extends from one distal end to the other of the tray.

The carrier 22 may be made of open or closed cell or foam cushioning material such, for example, as latex, polystyrene, polyurethane, or polyester. A good cushioning material of closed cell formation which may be employed in Rubatex R-314V, Grade VE (ASTM D-1667), a cellular vinyl-hycar product of the Rubatex Corp. of Bedford, Va. Polyurethane foam was found to be a good open cell material for use in making the carrier 22.

In making the applicator, a sheet of cushioning material or foam is laminated to or secured by adhesion upon a sheet of liquid-impermeable plastic and then is shaped by heat and pressure and/ or vacuum over a male die with the cushioning material contacting the male die. The shape of the die is such as to provide the final product as shown in the drawing.

In the final product, the inner (lingual) and outer (buccal) flanges 32 and'34 respectively of the tray at the anterior teeth area are inclined distally or inwardly, as will be seen particularly in FIG. 2. To accommodate the gingival area at the anterior teeth, the lingual flange 32 is slightly curved and at an inward angle A to the vertical 36 of about 3060. The inward angle B between the vertical 36 and the outer or buccal flange34 is about 2-20 to grip the anterior teeth whose incisal edges generally tilt outwardly.

At the posterior teeth area the outer or buccal flange 38 and interior or lingual flange 40 converge towards the teeth, as shown in FIG. 3, thereby narrowing the tooth receiving channel 30 at the posterior teeth area. The inward angle C between each buccal or lingual flange 38 and 40 and the vertical 42 is about 2-20. The preferred construction is one in which the inward angle of the buccal flange 34 at the anterior teeth area is 1520 and the inward or converging angle of each of the buccal and lingual flanges 38 and '40 at the posterior teeth area is about 10.

Since the buccal and lingual flanges of the entire applicator are smoothly curved from one distal end 18 to the other distal end 20, and since, in the preferred form, the converging angles of the anges at the posterior teeth area are less than the angles of the flanges at the anterior teeth area, the change in angle occurs primarily at the areas 44 which widens the channel 30 thereat to accommodate the first bicuspids. It will further be noted that in view of the angular relations of the flanges at the anterior and posterior teeth areas, the Web 16 of the tray (and similarly of the inner cushioning material) is narrower at the anterior teeth area, as at 46 and gradually widens out distally as at 48.

In use, measured amounts of the medicament are placed on the carrier at various spaced points along its length and the applicator is applied over each set of teeth with the teeth entering the channel 30, the height of the buccal and labial flanges being such as to reach the gums. By first applying moderate pressure on the tray against the teeth with the fingers, the cushioning material is compressed and spreads the medicament causing it to invest the teeth and/or gums. Because of the angulated buccal and labial flanges, the applicator will stay in place for the length of time required in the treatment, for the applicator will grip the teeth but will not spring off.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has here been shown and described, it is understood that skilled artisans may make minor variations without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. An applicator for the treatment of teeth and/or gums with fluorides or other medicaments comprising a substantially U-shaped trough-like resiliently flexible tray of channel cross-section made of a liquid-impermeable material and a medicament carrier of cushioning material of the same channel cross-section and substantially coextensive with the length and cross-section thereof and secured in said tray so that the applicator can fit over a set of teeth with the cushioning material contacting the inner, outer and biting surfaces of the teeth and of the gums, said tray including buccal and lingual flanges having portions which converge at the posterior teeth area and portions which extend at angles distally at the anterior teeth area to provide a teeth gripping action to support the applicator on the teeth without allowing it to spring 01f.

2. The applicator of claim 1 wherein the portions of the flanges at the posterior teeth area incline towards the teeth, each at an inward angle of about 2 to 20.

3. The applicator of claim 1 wherein the buccal flange of the portion of the tray at the interior teeth area inclines distally at an angle of about 2 to 20.

4. The applicator of claim 3 wherein the portions of the flanges at the posterior teeth area incline towards the teeth, each at an inward angle of about 2 to 20.

5. The applicator of claim 1 wherein the inclination distally of the buccal flange portion at the anterior teeth area exceeds the inclination towards the teeth of flange portions at the posterior teeth area.

6. The applicator of claim 1 wherein said cushioning material is made of open or closed cell plastic foam material.

7. The applicator of claim 1 wherein said cushioning material is secured in said tray by lamination or adhesion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,934,688 11/1933 Ackerman 7285 ROBERT PESHOCK, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. l28-26O 

